AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander Yano (in Green) receives one of the 20 wheelchairs donated to the differently-abled enlisted AFP personnel. Handing the wheelchair is Dr. Pipo Bundoc ΜΣΦ 1986 (rightmost) of the PGH-Department of Orthopedics. Looking on are PGH-Department of Rehabilitation Medicine's Dr. Josephine Bundoc  (seated), and Brig. Gen. Ariel Zerrudo (in white and blue), Commander of the AFP Medical Center.

In a sea of green-uniformed military officers and blue-clad soldier patients, Mu Sigma Phi brods and Mu Batch 2013 stood tall and proud in their white medical attire as aMUnation’s AFP MUbility handed over 20 wheelchair units to the Armed Forces last March 7, 2009, during a Handover of Donations Ceremony conducted in the AFP Medical Center Auditorium.

aMUnation is the week-long array of charitable activities from March 7 to 13, spearheaded by the neophyte Batch 2013. Beneficiaries of the University-wide events - which includes blood and book drives, basketball and video-game tournaments, and a raffle - are AFP servicemen, Philippine General Hospital patients, and Payatas grade school and high school students. The flagship project under aMUnation is AFP MUbility, an extension of the long-standing MUbility endeavor of Mu Sigma Phi that aims to provide free wheelchairs for personnel in the military, particularly those wounded in battle and those who have developed conditions meriting mobility assistance because of their valiant service to the nation. The free wheelchairs donated to the AFP were obtained from the charitable Operation Blessing Philippines–Mu Sigma Phi's unwavering partner in its projects for the differently-abled.

Officers of the AFP Medical Center and the AFP Staff and Civil-Military Operations look on the donation of wheelchairs

The Handover of Donations Ceremony was a fitting launch for aMUnation and was well-attended by top-ranking officers of the Armed Forces: Gen. Alexander Yano, AFP Chief of Staff; Rear Admiral Ramon Punzalan, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (J1); Maj. Gen. Carlos Holganza, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (J3); Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Sealana, Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations (J7); Brig. Gen. Natalio Ecarma III, Deputy Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps; and Brig. Gen. Ariel Zerrudo, AFP Medical Center Commander. Also in attendance were the husaband and wife tandem of Dr. Rafael and Josephine Bundoc, who played the most vital roles in the provision of wheelchairs.

In his welcoming remarks, Gen. Zerrudo lauded the the Fraternity for pioneering socially relevant activities as he recounted its long and multi-awarded history. He challenged the undergraduate brods to carry on in the spirit of service and assist in the military as health personnel. He also challenged the hospital staff to remain steadfast in caring for the soldiers, citing the efforts of the Fraternity as inspiration and proof of the concerned public.

The AFP awards the fraternity with a Certificate of Recognition received by neophytes Andro Licaros and Chuck Ecarma (third and fourth respectively from Right) of Batch 2013.

Dr. Josephine Bundoc delivered a speech describing the close ties of doctors and NGOs with the military. She related her experience of soldiers giving doctors piggyback rides through rough terrain in their outreach missions for remote locations such as Zamboanga. She said that she had always wondered how best to repay the soldiers for their dedication and hard work and noted that the aMUnation AFP MUbility would be but a small token of appreciation for their help. She also said that this project would hopefully open the door for more opportunities to restore wounded servicemen to full functionality and reintegrate them into the community through wheelchairs, braces, and prostheses.

Dr. Rafael Bundoc also took to the podium, elaborating on the history that Gen. Zerrudo had accounted: the Fraternity, in fact, already had collaborations with the military even from its humble beginnings. Many of the founding members went on to serve as military doctors and the aMUnation AFP MUbility would only bring full circle the relationship of trust and cooperation between the Fraternity and the Armed Forces. Dr. Bundoc expressed his aspirations that such partnership grow in the coming years as more wheelchairs are donated and as the project expands to aid all the more those soldiers whose health and well-being have been sacrificed because of their noble vocation.

Gen. Yano conveyed his heartfelt gratitude for the wheelchair donations and reiterated how this simple gesture, even apart from the cost and material benefit, helped motivate and inspire the soldiers to press on in their profession whose unique capital is that of human life.

Dr. Pipo Bundoc and Dra. Josephine Bundoc, together with the Brods, visit the AFP's Prosthetic Center

After the brief ceremony, the officers, guests, and Mu Sigma Phi brods retreated to a function room for snacks and refreshments, thus providing ample opportunity for socialization and discussions of future joint ventures. The contingent then proceeded to tour the hospital and the nearby Prosthetics and Brace Shop, where they were introduced to Sgt. Artemio Ibana Jr., a skilled prosthetics craftsman who had served extensively for 3 years in Cambodia. Dr. Bundoc expressed delight over the equipment and technical expertise already present in the facility and was optimistic for the future of aMUnation AFP MUbility.

Click here to view the actvities of Batch 2013's aMUnation or visit: http://www.amunation.org/

---